


my heart is so jetlagged

by castielwholmes



Category: Ensemble Stars! (Video Game)
Genre: F/M, Fluff, dumb couple on a dumb skype call, mentions of adosou and tetohina, this is rly choppy but i hope it's coherent
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-18
Updated: 2018-07-18
Packaged: 2019-06-12 05:47:11
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,648
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15333135
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/castielwholmes/pseuds/castielwholmes
Summary: Normally he would fly about the world doing who knows what without a care in the world, but now he has someone back home who misses him.  Not because she needs something from him, just because she wants him there.  And, hell, he really misses her too.  That’s not something he’s used to either.





	my heart is so jetlagged

**Author's Note:**

> day 7 of naru week means posting something i've been working on for almost a month  
> it's been a lot of fun, and i hope you enjoy!

“One minu~te!” Madara laughs as his girlfriend’s voice calls from offscreen. “Gosh, I really shouldn’t have let Nyanko cuddle with me before I put my mask on. But you’re a spoiled little princess, aren’t you? You really are.” A soft meow replies in response to Arashi moments before he’s greeted by her cat jumping onto her desk and brushing her face against the computer screen. Maybe he should bring back a souvenir for this little one as well.

“If it were really a problem you could’ve told me and I would’ve waited to call! Ooooor… maybe you just didn’t want to wait any longer?” he wonders out loud.

That brings Arashi into view, her face covered with a green clay mask and her hair held back by a plush pink headband.   She’s wearing a large tshirt that he recognizes as one of his own, along with light purple lounge pants. Her expression tells him that if she were bare-faced she would certainly be blushing. “Well, you know, I just didn’t want to keep you waiting, that’s all. You’re up early, aren’t you? Once I go to sleep you’ve still got the whole day ahead of you.”

“Nah, I’m more of a morning person anyway! But waking up early is even easier when I know I get to talk to Arashi-san.” He likes the smile that briefly jumps across her lips, at least before it’s replaced by a small frown.

“Mama, I keep telling you that you don’t need to call me that. We’re  _dating_ , you know _._  Using -san just seems so formal and stuffy.”

He laughs. “Right. Sorry about that, Arashi- _chan_.”

That seemed to be the right answer. His girlfriend’s eyes widen and she shuffles a bit in her desk chair, shrugging her shoulders and trying to hold back a smile. “Well, that, ah, that’s a bit, yes, that’s good.”

Seeing her get flustered like this is something he really loves. Arashi is usually so collected around others, brushing off nearly everything with just a laugh. Around him, though, she blushes so easily. She plays with her hands and smiles without making eye contact. She bites her lip and fumbles her words, and when the two of them are together she hides in his chest. It’s like she allows herself to be vulnerable in front of him, and he never wants to make her think otherwise. Being a shoulder to cry on isn’t something he’s used to to this extent, but even without words Arashi makes it clear that she trusts him. And that’s all he needs to know, really.

“So before I get started with my own day, tell me about yours! What’s my  _babygirl_  getting up to?” The English nickname earns another smile, her eyes glistening and her hands clapping together. Nyanko, still lying beside her computer, stirs a bit at the noise.

“Oh, it was  _lovely_!” she tells him excitedly. “Before class started Tetora-kun found me and asked if we could go to this little café I introduced him to after club activities because there was something he wanted to talk to me about. The poor child doesn’t have any siblings, so isn’t it sweet that he comes to me? He even calls me ‘onee-chan’ sometimes, and he doesn’t even call Anzu-chan that!”

He nods. “Is Anzu-san jealous about that?” Arashi shakes her head.

“She seems perfectly happy with ‘anego,’ though that girl is called nearly anything you could imagine. Especially with all the girls in the new producer course, and those are all just the cutest little darlings! Ah, it warms my heart just thinking about those children.” He’d noticed it when she told him about all her new kouhai at the beginning of the year, but she really does get excited whenever she talks about the expansion of the producer course. It’s only natural, he supposes. Other girls would be much more likely to get attached to her more quickly than the boys, and from what she’s told him the campus has been much brighter and more interesting with all of them around.

“…But anyway, he wanted to talk to me about how he thinks he might like one of the boys in his class, his friend Hinata-chan. Without Kiryu-senpai here I think he’s been at quite a loss for what to do about this sort of thing, you know? Though I don’t think Tetora-kun could have had eyes for anyone else while he still went here, so I guess it’s good that someone in his class has caught his attention? He was so sweet about it too, talking about how he doesn’t know a lot about how actual romance works but he thinks he might like him back so the poor thing has been, like,  _so_  nervous about it. He wanted to know if I had any advice for him.”

“What did you tell him?”

She shrugs a little bit. “Just the basic things. To tell him if he thinks he’s ready, or just to change his behavior a bit to let him know that he’s interested. You know, be gentler with him and maybe touch him a little more than usual, but not too much to be weird. I would suggest that he drop hints but, well, the boy is already dense enough.” Her words seem a bit harsh, but are contradicted by the soft look she wears.  

“So sorta how you behaved when you realized you liked me?” he asks, innocently enough so that it’s not obvious he’s teasing her but still making sure she’ll get a little bit flustered. It works, and rather than saying something in response she excuses herself to wash off the mask and finish her routine. She’s done this before; she always ends up blaming her blush on the fact that the water was just a little bit too warm.

He really is lucky, he thinks. Every guy thinks their partner is the most attractive, but he’s certain he wins for the cutest girlfriend. And probably even overall. Honestly, she’s way too good for him. Nyanko seems to take her absence as an opportunity to stretch her legs, bumping into the computer with an indignant “mrow” and sparing Madara an unimpressed glance. He smiles. “Your mama really is cute, isn’t she.” The cat doesn’t seem to notice that he’s said anything, instead lying back down on the desk and purring.

Her room certainly isn’t unfamiliar to him. Though he can’t see much through the view of her computer’s webcam that he’s been acquainted with most over the past few weeks he’s been away, what he can see while she’s washing her face settles in his heart as something he can only express as  _her_. It’s plainer than one would expect from someone with a personality like hers, but she’s brightened up the atmosphere with flowers and little stuffed animals and picture frames. He knows that on the wall by her bed is a collage of pictures of her with her friends, clubmates, and current as well as past unit-mates, and that on her vanity is a picture of the two of them they’d taken when he surprised her with a trip to Paris. He knows just offscreen is a worn cat tree and a plush pink bed for Nyanko, though from the nights he’s spent with her he knows her cat prefers to cuddle up next to her. Her closet door is open just a little, and he’s reminded of the times she’s shown him outfits she says she could never wear outside of that room. The pictures remain on his phone as a memento of the times that his girlfriend looks prettiest and most confident and most like herself.

Suddenly the apartment he’d talked his acquaintance into letting him borrow feels… empty.

Now that he has the chance to think about it, this is the longest he’s been away since they started dating. Not by any fault of his own, he thinks, as this time he was asked to help out with a kids’ music festival overseas by a family friend who knew the organizer. He’s been here for almost three weeks for preparations alone, including instructing the performers and perfecting their techniques, and the festival itself is planned to span a few days. But he can’t help but notice that since dating her all his other trips have only been a few days, and occasionally with her tagging along (his favorite among those was when he was traveling with both Arashi  _and_  Leo, even if the two of them had teamed up against him a few times). He just… doesn’t really feel the need to go to so many different places when every day with her feels like a new adventure.

He laughs. That might be a cheesy enough thought to write a song about. Normally he would fly about the world doing who knows what without a care in the world, but now he has someone back home who misses him. Not because she needs something from him, just because she wants him there. And, hell, he really misses her too. That’s not something he’s used to either.

He’s spared from any further thought by Nyanko’s head popping up once she sees her owner enter the room. Arashi still has the headband, but her face is completely bare. And she looks absolutely gorgeous. Considering how she wears makeup as if it were a suit of armor, getting to see her without it is really something special. Though she looks beautiful either way and he certainly doesn’t mind watching her put it on, when she’s not wearing it she looks almost vulnerable. There’s nothing he wants more than to scoop her into his arms and protect her. That, or kiss her senseless without her having to worry about smudging her lipstick and messing up her whole look. Either works, really. He’s not picky.

“Sorry about that, but it takes effort to stay this cute!”

He grins. “Arashi-chan is already the cutest without trying, so it really is amazing how all that extra work can make you just as cute in a different kind of way. You really are an artist!” If someone were to ask him if he thinks his girlfriend is prettiest with or without makeup, he doesn’t think he’d be able to answer the question. While he loves the soft intimacy of her bare face, the confidence she has when everything is done just right makes his heart feel like it’s going to burst with affection. So it’s really a stupid question. Arashi is  _always_  the prettiest. There’s no doubt about that.

Rather than acting flustered, she simply nods with a bit of a smile. “It’s nice to hear that you appreciate my talents. But, oh my gosh, I never finished telling you about what happened today!”

\----------------

“….And honestly, you do  _not_ want to be in the same room as those two when they get like that. I mean, I knew something was up between them  _way_  before they did, but sometimes I feel like I’d rather go back to Adonis-chan bringing up Souma-chan at any chance he can get than having to see them being so cute together when I have to be cute alone since you’re not here.” Arashi crosses her arms, her lips pursed together in a pout that Madara  _really_  wants to kiss. “It’s just not fair! I mean, I should be used to it but that doesn’t mean I like it.” He was already smiling listening to her tell her story, but she’s so cute that he can’t help but laugh. “What’s so funny?” She tilts her head to the side, like a puppy waiting for a command.

“Nothing really, it’s just…” He brushes his bangs back awkwardly, feeling them fall back before he even puts his hand down. “It’s nice to be missed.”

Arashi smiles softly. “Well, it’s certainly not like this is anything new for you, leaving me and Adonis-chan all alone to watch over Mitsuru-chan,” she says, casually scratching Nyanko behind her ears. Madara winces a little, hiding it with another laugh. He can’t deny it, she has a point. “But I know what you mean. It’s a nice feeling to know that there’s someone out there your being there means something to.” For a moment it looks like she’s about to say something else, but it’s quickly replaced by an amused glint in her eyes. “I hope you don’t like it so much that you’re going to take your time coming back, though. I’ve been spending lots of time with Mika-chan, but the poor child is still just skin and bones! I try to hug him and I swear I can feel his ribs! It’s hard to cuddle him and relax after a long day when I’m so worried about whether he’s actually eating without Itsuki-senpai around. You’re  _much_  better for that kind of thing.”

He laughs again, genuinely this time. “I don’t think you’re gonna get anywhere with that one, but I can tell you’re doing your best!” Looking at her image on the screen, so perfect and beautiful,  _she really is too good for him_ , he adds softly “Sometimes I gotta wonder, what’s a pretty girl like you doing missing a guy like me?” The question seems innocent enough, but Arashi clearly doesn’t like it.

“Isn't it obvious?” she asks, resting her chin on her hand and giving him a look that he’s gotten used to seeing when he says something stupid. Which isn’t all that uncommon, to be honest. “Because you’re my boyfriend, and I love you.”

Madara had never thought that a single sentence could make the whole world stop, but right now he’s proven wrong. Times like this require a cool head and just the right words, however, so he can’t mess this up.

“Eh?” he responds eloquently.

She’s smiling at him, her eyelids drooping a little from tiredness. Perfect. Just perfect. He’s gonna have to call his friend and tell him he won’t be available today because his girlfriend is so cute that there is no way he’s going to be able to function at all.

“Well, one of us had to say it first, you know. And I just got tired of waiting.” There’s only less than a week until all of this is over, but it feels  _way_  too long when that’s what’s in between him and getting to hold his girlfriend and never let go. He’s not sure how much longer he can take. As loving as Arashi is, she’s always been so reserved in her emotions when it comes to things like this. At first she had kissed him so easily, but when he’d even just tried to hold her hand she’d practically shut down. Of course by this point they’ve done much more than that, but her words had never gone past a soft “I like you.” Not that he’s any less guilty of being scared of this kind of thing, though. But this… this feels like the push they both needed in order for this to happen.

“I love you too,  _babygirl_ ,” he says softly. “I’ll be home soon. It’s Mama’s promise, and when have I ever broken one of those?”

She laughs softly. “Do you want a list?” she asks, trying and failing to stifle a yawn. He feels bad for keeping her up this late. “You better be right this time. Nyanko is nice to cuddle with but she can’t hold me like you do.”

“I promise,” he repeats. “Now get some sleep, Arashi-chan. I know how you hate the thought of bags under your eyes.”

Arashi waves, blowing him a kiss. He makes a show of when he catches it, “tucking” it in his shirt pocket. “Mmkay. Goodnight, Mama.” The video closes, showing their previous chatlog.

Man, he can’t wait to get back to her.

**Author's Note:**

> you know where to find me @adosoumas  
> it'd be pretty rad if you left kudos/comments if you enjoyed this please and thank you


End file.
